12 March 2007

Amaechi Shines Through, While Tim Learns the Hardaway

More good news for John Amaechi, whose coming out elevated discussions of homophobia and slurs to national attention. HeadBlade, manufacturers of a head-shaving razor, has signed the former NBA player to a multi-year contract—the first time a mainstream company has sponsored an openly gay male athlete.

"I think it's fantastic that HeadBlade has approached me to endorse the brand," said Amaechi. "I jumped on the HeadBlade bandwagon the first time I found out about the product almost six years ago, and have been using it ever since."

HeadBlade CEO Todd Greene says Amaechi “is the perfect storm” because “he’s African-American, a basketball player and gay, and those are all huge demographics for us.” Here, here.

Just the opposite luck for the contrite and homophobic Tim Hardaway. Another manufacturer of men’s grooming essentials, Bald Guyz, recently fired him as their first athletic endorser. Hardaway has suffered numerous financial setbacks ever since his notorious anti-gay rant on a Miami radio show.

Last weekend, John Amaechi spoke at the National Black Justice Coalition's Second Annual Black Church Summit. His memoirs, Man in the Middle, remains on The New York Times bestseller list. In more ways than one, Amaechi continues to shrine through the negativity that accompanied his coming out.